Is this the right choice?

Defaulter-members of cooperative housing society shown as valid election candidates

Is this the right choice?

Defaulter-members of cooperative housing society shown as valid election candidates

Anil Noronha of the Crimson Glory Cooperative Housing Society in Kurla, has chosen to do the latter since 2006.

Anil Noronha, who pointed out irregularities in the his building managing committe's (MC) functioning. Following SMD's report, the authorities have now issued a notice to the two dismissed MC members to return important papers that they had refused to until now

The Sunday MiD DAY of December 6 showcased how Noronha was victimised by the then managing committee (MC) for pointing out irregularities in their functioning. Later, following elections and as secretary he started on a transparent process for repairs of the 34-year-old building. Based on a false complaint, the Deputy Registrar (L ward) dissolved his newly-elected MC and the Divisional Joint Registrar (Mumbai) upheld it and ordered re-elections. All the evidence that Noronha furnished to prove that his MC had adequate quorum was ignored.

Now Noronha has pointed out that the members who arbitrarily refused to pay maintenance charges and are thus defaulters are standing for elections to the Managing Committee (MC), scheduled on January 3. According to the housing society by-laws, defaulter-members cannot stand for elections to the MC. Noronha has written to the authorities furnishing proof of the non-payment. Further, he has written to the authorities pointing out the "irrationality" of first dismissing his MC for having only one member and now expecting the three-member MC to help him in the election work. A freshly updated list of all the society members he submitted at the Deputy Registrar's office has been bypassed by the election officer. "All this shows that due diligence is not being shown by the election officer in doing the mandatory checking," says Noronha.u00a0

Following SMD's report, the authorities have now issued a notice to the two dismissed MC members to return important papers that they had refused to until now. It was due to these papers that an audit and the Annual General Body meeting could not be held and which the authorities cited as the reason for dismissing Noronha's committee.

The authorities recently told Noronha that the onus to ensure that an inquiry is done into the discrepancies in accounts in the previous MC's records (which he got through a RTI application) is on him! Also, if the two dismissed MC members failed to return the important papers they have kept with them, Noronha will have to do the legwork and get the tehsildar and the police to ensure that papers are returned.

An official from the co-operation department wanting to remain anonymous said that fingers were being pointed to the "unsatisfactory way" in which Noronha's committee kept accounts and that Noronha could have stood for re-elections if he wanted. He however, refused to say anything about the defaulter-members standing for elections.

"The fact that he does not want to be named, is refusing to comment on the defaulters and is talking of fingers being pointed without having any proof is itself an indication of how biased the authorities are. For every accusation I have made, I have furnished proof. And when I am protesting that my MC was dismissed unjustly, how can I stand for re-elections and validate them?" asks Noronha.

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